[thechat] Prof refuses recommendation if you don't believe in evolution

[Plunkett, Matt]

I saw this on K5 last week...I think you've opened the floodgates on this
one. :)

Anyway...take a look at your subject.  It's not correct.  Biologists who
think evolution happened accept it as a scientific theory.  There is no
"belief" involved, or at least not belief in the faith-based sense.  Sure,
they _believe_ it happened, but if someone came along with a better
theory...they'd abandon it in a heartbeat.  This is fundamentally different
than a creationist's "belief" that creation was done in one swell foop.
That belief cannot be abandoned by better data, because it is not based on
data.  This distinction is important.

Anyway, back on target...the professor is completely within his rights IMHO
because he is

a) right to refuse anyone a recommendation
b) not discriminating based on any particular religion, but rather on
   knowledge and acceptance of biological theory (he is a biology prof
after all)

As has been mentioned in many places elsewhere, the theory of evolution is
central to modern biology and medicine...the adaptation of bacteria to
antibiotics being the most commonly known example.

Before anyone goes there, I'd also like to mention that even though
evolution is a "theory", so is gravity and a bunch of other stuff everyone
takes for granted. :)

Madha, the prof is Catholic IIRC.  He is not discriminating based on a
belief in God.

*dons asbestos suit*

-----Original Message-----
From: Madhu Menon [mailto:webguru at vsnl.net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 2:20 PM
To: thechat at lists.evolt.org
Subject: [thechat] Prof refuses recommendation if you don't believe in
evolution


Sorry to bring up religion again, but I found this interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/03/education/03PROF.html

Short version: University Professor refuses letter of recommendation to
those who don't believe in evolution, saying that if you don't believe in
scientific proof and methods, you can't be much of a doctor. Pissed-off
student hires Christian lawyer group to file a lawsuit and gets the DoJ to
investigate Uni. for "religious discrimination".

A few days worth of comments on this site:
http://nielsenhayden.com/electrolite/archives/002305.html#002305


Personal opinion: Though I'm an atheist, I don't think that a belief in God
by default precludes one from being a good doctor. (Now, if you were
Jehovah's witnesses and refused to do a blood transfusion, that would be
another matter.) However, a recommendation from a professor is purely at
his discretion. A student doesn't have a "right" to a letter of
recommendation. I could decide I won't give letters of recommendation to
people shorter than 6 feet. That makes me a crank, but it's still my choice.

Oh well...

Madhu

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